Breads are the trickiest part of the SD so far, i think. Not all “wheat” breads are actually 100% whole wheat!! And not all 100% whole wheat breads taste good! Ugh. Ok, so I’m trying to wade through this mess…and here’s what I’ve got.
The Good Guys
Ok, so according to the SD book, there are several types of “wheat” breads. First are “sprouted” wheat breads. From what I gather (and this is like me trying to learn martian), the grains are picked right after sprouting, making them as nutritious as their fully matured counterparts, but easier to digest. They are kind of hard to come by, though, unless you have a Whole Foods nearby or Trader Joe’s. But how would I know if it’s “sprouted” wheat?? It’s listed right under the ingredients. Apparently, THIS is the place you look to make sure that “wheat” bread is really wheat. We purchased the Ezekiel 4:9 bread, which is not only 100% Sprouted Whole Grain bread; it’s also organic. Yep. We went there. It also has no flour and no added sugar. Here’s their premise: they take the scripture from Ezekiel 4:9 and made bread from it:
“Inspired by the Holy Scripture verse Ezekiel 4:9., ‘Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it…’ We discovered when these six grains and legumes are sprouted and combined, an amazing thing happens. A complete protein is created that closely parallels the protein found in milk and eggs. In fact, the protein quality is so high, that it is 84.3% as efficient as the highest recognized source of protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids. There are 18 amino acids present in this unique bread – from all vegetable sources – naturally balanced in nature.” -Food For Life Website
Does scripture make a tasty whole wheat bread? Verdict: It makes great toast. All of those ingredients impart a nutty taste to the bread, which makes it awesome when paired with peanut butter, or even just toasted for breakfast toast. However, I would probably not eat this by itself. Additionally, I was not prepared for the texture, which was pretty dense. Again, better as toast. Then again, when do I ever eat just a piece of bread??? Also, I really love the idea of this bread, making it according to Biblical scripture.
The other sprouted wheat bread available to us is Alvarado St. Bakery Bread, which also is organic, has no flour, and no added sugars. We haven’t tried it yet- it’s next. A word to the wise: these breads must be refrigerated, since they have no added junk to make them last longer. They are also the healthiest options available at the supermarket.
Next up: “100% Whole Cracked Wheat” breads. Apparently, they take the wheat whole and crack it. Rudi’s Organic Bakery Bread with Colorado Cracked Wheat looks to be the closest we’ve found. Added bonuses of being organic and having no high fructose corn syrup are compelling…but I haven’t tried it yet. Also, Orowheat 100% whole wheat lists “cracked wheat” as an ingredient, but I’m not sure if that counts. I haven’t tried it yet, either…TBC- I will try both!
Finally: “100% Whole Wheat” or “100% Whole Grains” breads- it must be listed this way on the ingredient label, according to the SD. Our favorite: Pepperidge Farms Light Style, 7 Grain & soft wheat variations. A serving size is 3 slices of bread at 45 calories/slice…that means sandwiches, my friend! It’s soft wheat bread, so it gets that soft bread craving for you! And, it tastes the best out of all the other 100% whole wheat breads, we think.
The Bad Guys
“Bleached” or “Bromated” Flour- This may be one of the first ingredients listed on other “Wheat” breads, but I won’t be fooled. Again.
“100% wheat” or “multigrain” or “cracked wheat”- These words, although they sound healthy, have apparently little to do with the grains being whole.
“Wheat Flour”- may not be 100% whole wheat flour
And there are others…be warned.
This post is to be continued after further market research…and eventually, I will need a bread maker to compare homemade whole wheat breads to store bought…oh darn…. 😉
And nothing smells better then freshly baked bread. Thanks for the info!
Love your blog! I tried to post yesterday, hopefully I will get this one right and it will post. Zach's favorite bread is Ezekiel bread, he actually prefers the texture. It does take a little getting used to. It is awesome for french toast and a little bit of honey or aguave!
This SD diet maybe really good for us, since I am gluten free and it is hard to find things we all can eat! Thanks!
What a great idea, Aunt Janet! We will have to try the french toast! The New Sonoma Diet book has a whole section on how to buy/eat/live gluten free, so it might be worth looking at 🙂
I try to eat only 100% whole wheat. It's so hard when white bread is every where! I told Tim the other night that you and Chris were following this diet. I think we are going to try it after we get married. 🙂
It's definitely my fave diet ever, and I feel like if junk-food loving, french-fry-eating, burgers-are-better-the-greasier Chris can do it, and if stuck-on-sugar me can do it, anyone can!
You guys pick a date?
Lol! Yeah I think Tim and I are the same way, Tim with the junk food and myself with the sugar. We both definitly need to live healthier.
We have a couple dates. One in October and one in November, but nothing is definite yet. It all depends on jobs.
Good post! I am enjoying all the bread I can until April…lol. Also, butter, cakes, cookies, and ice cream. ;o)